Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 626: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the projects that have been completed in the two national development plans to date in respect of each hub and gateway of the national spatial strategy; and the projects listed for completion by 2013. [5086/08]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 627: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when his Department's national spatial strategy monitoring committee last met; the regularity with which it meets; the headings under which progress is reported to the committee in respect of the strategy; the numerical performance indicators used; if the strategy is ahead or behind schedule in its implementation; and the way the committee monitors the NSS. [5087/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to answer Questions Nos. 626 and 627 together.

The National Development Plan 2000-2006 identified the five cities of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford to be key regional growth centres for future regional investment and development. In addition, the NDP also recommended the preparation of a national spatial strategy to inform future investment decisions, secure more balanced regional development and facilitate sustainable development in economic, social and environmental terms. The National Spatial Strategy (NSS) was launched in November 2002, and identified nine strategically located gateway cities and towns to act as economic drivers for their wider regions, and nine hub towns to link those gateway regions. Among the principal objectives of the 20-year Strategy are to build up the strengths of all areas through a better spread of economic activity, employment and population growth, to energise the potential of all urban and rural areas and to set a national context for regional and local planning strategies.

The 2004 Regional Planning Guidelines translate the national NSS objectives and priorities into a regional and local context, with comprehensive land use and transportation strategic frameworks developed for each of the gateways. Moreover, key Government policies and investment programmes, such as Transport 21, are now consistent with the NSS. The alignment of future residential and commercial developments with existing and forthcoming public transport systems will further support sustainable patterns of growth.

My Department has undertaken and commissioned extensive research to support the development of the NSS Gateways and Hubs, and has published two studies that comprehensively set out development issues and investment priorities in each of these locations. The two reports, the Gateway Investment Priorities Study (2006) and the NSS Hubs — Development Issues and Challenges (2007), which are both available on my Department's website — www.environ.ie, provide detailed descriptions of the current status of each of the gateways and hubs and the progress being made to accelerate their growth, identify development issues and challenges associated with these strategic locations and make recommendations to support and advance their future growth. These findings and key recommendations are now being prioritised in the development plans for these cities and towns.

The current National Development Plan 2007-2013 has been fully aligned with the principles and objectives of the NSS, and has, in addition, made specific provision for a cross-sectoral €300 million Gateway Innovation Fund (GIF). This will help to fund particular investments that can trigger the accelerated development of the gateways and their wider regions. Following a competitive call, proposals have been received for funding under the GIF from all nine Gateways and these are currently being evaluated. The Minister for Finance and I will jointly bring our proposed funding allocations to Cabinet in the near future.

In tandem with NDP annual reporting and monitoring, an NSS monitoring framework is being developed to identify how investments are being prioritised to implement the NSS and to assess how well the NSS is working in practice, both in terms of policy alignment and key outputs achieved. A high-level NSS Inter-Departmental Steering Committee (IDSC) was established in 2003 to oversee implementation of the Strategy; the Committee meets on a quarterly basis and last met on 8 January, 2008. The Committee comprises representatives from a number of key Departments including Taoiseach; Finance; Transport; Enterprise, Trade & Employment; Arts, Sports and Tourism; Communications, Energy and Natural Resources; Education & Science; and Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, and State agencies such as Forfás. The Steering Committee is chaired by my Department and assists with co-ordinating implementation of the NSS and ensuring that it informs the spatial aspects of all relevant public sector programmes, including in relation to the determination of investment priorities.